World Health Day – Importance, Facts, and History

Learn about the most important aspects of World Health Day. When is World Health Day observed?  Why we celebrate World Health Day? What are some interesting facts about World Health Day? What is the history and importance of World Health Day?

• When is World Health Day observed?
• Why we celebrate World Health Day?
• What are some interesting facts about World Health Day?
• History and Importance of World Health Day

When is World Health Day observed?

World Health Day is observed every year on the 7^th of April. Coincidently, 7^th of April also marks the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO was founded on 7^th April, 1948.

World Health Day was first observed on the 7^th of April, 1950, thereby making it one of the world’s oldest health initiative.

Why we celebrate World Health Day?

World Health Day is an initiative started by the WHO that highlights the importance and benefits of maintaining good health for all the peoples of the world. It is a health initiative by the WHO that educates, promotes, and advocates good health and lifestyle ideas and thinking. Here are the most important reasons why World Health Day is celebrated:

• Promotes Health and Wellness: World Health Day has a yearly theme that talks about a particular pressing health issue globally. For instance, in 2023, World Health Day theme is “Health for All.” The “Health for All” theme talks about the promotion of equal healthcare services across regions and across geo-political and socio-economical states.
• Educates People: World Health Day gives the WHO an important opportunity to educate the people on certain important health topics. Further, it is an important opportunity for the WHO to dispel myths and other inaccurate information and misconceptions.
• Influencing Governments: The WHO through World Health Day, influences governments across the world to adopt certain standards of health that improve the health and wellbeing of people in their countries. They advocate for health policies that are later implemented by governments.
• Quality Healthcare for Everyone: It is a fundamental goal of the WHO to ensure that quality healthcare is provided to everyone across the world. This agenda is pushed through the WHO World Health Day (WHD.)
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): World Health Day highlights and attempts to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). What are UNs SDGs? UN SDGs are a UN blueprint that attempts to achieve a more sustainable and equitable world by the year 2030.

What are some interesting facts about World Health Day?

Now, you have a good idea about what the World Health Day is, but there are also certain little known interesting facts about World Health Day that we’re sure you were not aware of. Let’s check out some of the most interesting facts about World Health Day.

• World Health Day was inspired by Canada’s Health Day.
• World Health Day has a colour associated with it. It is associated with the colour blue, which signifies hope and awareness.
• “Solidarity at 8 pm” is a program adopted by the WHO where people around the globe cheer for healthcare works at 8pm on World Health Day.
• Free health snacks are generally distributed across the globe on World Health Day.
• Every World Health Day is theme based. The list of themes across the years include “Safe Blood Starts with Me”, “Mental Health: Stop Exclusion, Dare to Care”, “Move for Health”, “Support Nurses and Midwives”, “Beat Diabetes” and beyond.

History and Importance of World Health Day

Let us now talk about the history and importance of World Health Day.

• World Health Day was introduced on April 7th, 1950.
• Every year since its incorporation, it follows a theme based approach where the most pressing health issues worldwide are talked about on World Health Day by incorporating them in a theme.
• Some of the most important health issues incorporated into a World Health Day theme include themes about diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Depression, Mental Health, and beyond.
• In India alone, there have been various vaccination drives, blood donation drives, health exhibitions, health camps, school health programs, and more that are organized by the WHO on World Health Day.